


Business Trips

by RedCrossX



Series: Funhaus on Insulin [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Awkward Sunset Moments, Blood testing, Chronic Illness, Cuddling & Snuggling, Diabetic!Adam, Flirting, Fluff, Glucose Monitors, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Multi, Needles, Polyamory, Polyhaus - Freeform, Shiphaus - Freeform, Type 1 Diabetes, Workplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 17:39:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10576221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedCrossX/pseuds/RedCrossX
Summary: Adam is learning how to let other people help him and set boundaries related to his diabetes, but that doesn't mean he can stop and smell the roses. Even if they're trying to find a pattern, all it takes is an important trip back to Austin to throw everything into disarray. Normal life is filled with obstacles, especially for a Type One Diabetic.Hopefully, a couple of his boyfriends can make things a little easier.





	1. Equilibrium

His alarm went off five minutes ago. Adam groaned into his pillow and snuggled into the covers, desperate to find a few more minutes of peace before he was caught up into his usual world of chaos that had become his life.

 “Adam?” a voice ruined his expectations as he grumbled further, “Are you alive? You aren’t in a coma or anything, are you?”

 “Yes. I went into a diabetic coma overnight and now I am dead.”

“Well, that’s too bad,” Bruce continued as he reached down towards the covers and pulled them off the bed, leaving an almost-naked Adam to curl in on himself.

 “Get up. We gotta get going!”

Adam pouted.

Bruce could only laugh in response as he leaned down and gave Adam a quick peck on his forehead, lifting him slightly by his shoulders so they could look each other in the eyes.

 “Big day. We got some stuff to fix at the office then we’re off to the airport to head to Austin.”

“Austin. Airports. Right.”

 Adam rubbed at his eyes, never surprised that Bruce was already in his clothes and rearing to go as he was barely slumping out of bed to throw on a pair of jeans. His hand fumbled the lamp on the nightstand as it found his blood tester, and he somehow managed to get blood onto the tiny test strip while pushing his legs into pants.

 Numbers? Nothing dangerous. Perfectly in range. With a relieved sigh and the addition of a shirt tossed at him through the door by a patient Lawrence, he was ready to go.

“Thanks.” Adam deadpanned as Lawrence kept tapping at his phone.

  It was a relatively sunny day outside as Adam reassessed his location. Adam technically still had his tiny place a few minutes away, but it had been awhile since he’d been back. With all of them getting closer together there seemed to be less reason to be at home by himself. Hell, half of his supplies was here practically at all times. Insulin displayed proudly on a tiny shelf in the door of the fridge as he grabbed milk for his already brewing coffee and draped himself over Lawrence.

“Hey,” Adam mumbled, pulling in the scent of another of his boyfriends.

 Lawrence pulled him into a chaste kiss, his position almost knocking his glasses off his nose as the machine dinged.  Adam pulled away from Lawrence and grabbed the filled travel mug from beneath the machine.

 “We good to go?” Adam yawned just as Bruce stepped in like a beam of sunshine.

“Well, _I_ am. Not sure about Mr. Sleepless-in-LA over here.” Lawrence snorted, but Adam was already leaning against a wall by the doorway like the asshole he was.

Adam’s mind did the once-over. Blood tester in his back pocket, insulin pump still properly connected to him, and a whole bunch of stuff still waiting to be packed when they got back from the office later.

 Airports usually were okay about this kind of stuff, though there was the occasional flight that could turn into a disaster.

  There was still plenty of time to worry about that later.

X-X-X-X-X-X-

 Adam’s stance on his condition had definitely given the rest of Funhaus the best ideas on how to help Adam when it came to handling the whole “diabetes” thing, though there were still times when they would catch themselves before saying something. It was the same as always, just a little different.

 That was love for ya.

 It definitely came with plenty perks, however. Food became ever-present in hiding places all over the office. From his own desk’s secret Skittles stash to the addition of juice boxes in the office fridge (he wasn’t too picky) and even some other places that he could access quickly if needed. Most of the time, this wasn’t an issue, but the beach incident was a constant reminder of how easy it was to screw up again. If anything, Adam redoubled his efforts to maintain control over his ailment.

 If he kept control, that would mean less coddling from the office, despite that logic being what led to the “beach incident” in the first place.

  It was the smaller things that got to him, like how James would check up on him after their usual visit to the gym, or the eyes he could feel on him in the post-gym exhaustion until he actively tested in front of them.

 Or maybe it was the fact that he actually felt like that was something he needed to do now. In a sense, his blood was shared through their network, and his own suffering became the suffering of someone else. It was a thought that both warmed his heart and pulled him into a frozen panic.

 He was living for many, but they were also living for him.

 Relationships never ceased to be confusing.

  “God damnit Bruce!” The three of them shouted again as Bruce cackled maniacally in the distance.

 Lawrence puffed up his chest in his best CEO impression, “Those helicopters ain’t cheap you know!”

“Maybe _that’s_ why we’re not making any money in these jobs,” James grinned.

 Adam, as usual, was left looking at the men around him with mocking disdain.

 Another run, and another edit leading to the four parachuting properly from the helicopter, except Adam’s parachute not deploying.

 “Uh, guys?” Adam asked.

 “What’s up?”

 “The parachute –“

 His character hits the ground, and yet by some miracle he’s completely unharmed. The group responds with a mix of laughter as they glance at another game-break made brilliant.

 “So _that’s_ what the money’s going into,” James sighed.

Adam smirked, “You got me. Had to be rebuilt after so many crashes.”

“Are we talking Robocop rebuild or – “

“More Six-Million Dollar man, probably.” Adam shrugged, provoking more laughter from the rest of the room that he was sure would baffle the audience.

 “Aaaand cut.” Bruce called it, and Adam was already reaching for the ‘end session’ button on his recording set-up.

“What, ending in the middle of a mission?” Lawrence asked though he was pausing the game as well.”

 “Lost track of time,” he shrugged sheepishly, “We have a plane to catch in a few hours.”

 “That time already?” Adam glanced at his watch.

 James stretched quickly, looking to the other standing men with a slight smile just as Elyse leaned on top of one of the desks.

 “Ehh, start a new run and get to that point when you get back. We can slap a to-be-continued on it and move on,” Elyse grinned as her fingers pressed the “Quit” with the controller, “Want me to let Matt know or-“

 “I’ll just take the note over to him,” Bruce replied, ever excited, “We should probably say goodbye before hitting the road. Should probably remind him to eat something too.”

 “I’m sure someone else is on it.”

 “Please,” Lawrence laughed, “You do _not_ get in between Matt and work.”

“Or whoever’s in bed with him,” Adam perked up, but he was already out the door before he could glance back to them.

Making a beeline to the bungalow, Adam was nearly in a sprint just as he heard the door open behind him. A grinning Bruce and James were already rolling their eyes when Adam’s only response was to grin back.

 “Are we hurrying or what?”

 Both men were caught searching for a response, but Adam was already gone. A moment with Matt first just to assure the guy that things were going to be fine.

 Which would’ve been the perfect plan if Adam had remembered _how fucking fast_ James could run. The man vaulted over him and sprinted down the length of concrete before he rushed after him. With a loud bang, the door to the bungalow swung open, and poor Jacob was left wide-eyed as he just turned around from the Premiere loaded up on his computer.

 “Jesus, James,” Bones groaned, “Maybe a little more warning next time?”

“Aww, but that’s no fun.”

“Just thought we’d step in and say goodbye before we head off to Texas,” Adam explained sheepishly, poking his head in as James strut dramatically towards an empty chair and dropped into it like a king to his throne.

 Matt, who was right next to him, just rolled his eyes as he hit the ‘export’ button on a screen, but didn’t object as James tapped him on his shoulder affectionately.

 “Well, I guess we’ll just fill the space your fine asses are occupying whilst you’re gone then,” Don yawned.

 James gave a heavy nod as Adam perched next to the door. Bones shot him a confused look, to which Adam could only offer a confused shrug as a response. That seemed to placate James, however as he was already standing up and heading towards the door.

“Well, I said everything that needs to be said,” James smirked, “so I’m gonna get going. See you at the airport!”

 And with that, James was gone. Adam watched him walk away, eyes taking in all of him as he tried to hide his high-school crush smile.

 “Dat ass, though.” Jon chuckled as Adam grew several shades redder.

 In a brief moment, the rest of the editors were back to their work, a dedicated team that kept the rest of them afloat. Adam had nothing left to say really, other than to offer a shy goodbye to the boys in the room before heading out the door.

 Then one hand grabbed him by the wrist as the door swung shut behind him.

 “Adam,” Matt stated.

 His voice was concrete – solid yet quiet as Adam turned to face him. His eyes stared up at Adam with a cocktail of emotions that Adam wasn’t sure how to feel about.

 “Yes?”

 “You got everything?”

 Adam rolled his eyes, “God, Matt. I’m an adult. I know what the hell I’m doing.”

Matt’s raised eyebrow spoke words.

 “Yes, I’ve organized everything, checked over twice, made sure that I’ll live with this _thing I’ve had for years_ with all of the combined technology at my disposal,” Adam’s fingers clenched, “Regardless of what’s happened the past couple weeks, I’ll be fine.”

 “Just double-checking,” Matt replied, “Doesn’t hurt to have other people looking out for you.”

 “Jesus, Matt –“

 Matt’s hand grasped Adam by the ass and pulled him forward, and suddenly Adam couldn’t remember how breathing worked.

  _“_ Just take care of yourself, okay? Otherwise, I may have some words for you later. Among other things.”

With a better sense of the tone, Adam’s confusion turned to ecstasy.

 “Peake, if I didn’t know any better I’d think you were _encouraging_ me to let loose a bit.”

“You know exactly what I mean, Adam.”

 It took all of Adam’s current willpower to keep him from just dropping to his knees right then and there, but a honk from the parking lot reminded him of the task at hand. Matt pulled Adam down a little to put a soft kiss on his cheek.

 “See all of you when you get back,” Matt whispered, and Adam just grinned.

 “Don’t worry, alright? I may be a bit more dependent, but I’ve been fighting this beast almost longer than I’ve known you.”

“Yeah yeah. Go before Bruce starts yell-“

“ADAM! LET’S GO!”

 “Gotta run,” Adam sighed, and with a final glance back he was bolting towards Bruce’s car with his bag swinging over his shoulder as he prepared for what was happening next.


	2. Ascent

Airports were an ordeal for many people. The whole “airway safety” thing seemed to continue developing different ways to hold people up in a security line, and for Adam this just meant more sophisticated technology to keep him from attaining his goal.

 Adam let out a sigh as he wandered towards the gate with Bruce and James flanking him at both sides. James had his phone to his ear as he spoke quietly while Bruce was on the other side grasping his boarding pass like it was made of gold.

 “So, Adam,” Bruce started, “Think we’ll have to wait twenty minutes for you to explain to the security guys what’s going on this time?”

Adam smirked, “Nah. I think I’ll just skip to the part where I yell ‘I have a bomb attached to me’ and see what happens.”

 Bruce’s glare mimicked that of a mother hearing him swear, but regardless he couldn’t help but chuckle as James pulled his phone away.

 “Thankfully there aren’t too many people here. Not many people flying on a Tuesday afternoon.”

“I don’t think it’s possible for an airport to ‘not’ be crowded,” said Bruce as he dropped a suitcase onto one of the security tract. He offered a brief smile to the disinterested security agent before whipping his belt out and dropping it into one of those grey bins in the security lines.

 “Any metal and tech in a bin or a bag, please.” The man announced from the other side, just as Bruce passed through one of the gates without any problems.

Which left Adam to fend for himself, wondering how much he’d have to dish out for a bottle of water on the other side. The stale air of an airport didn’t help the situation much, though there was a voice in the back of his head suggesting there was some other reason for these decisions.

 “Uh, about that,” Adam spoke up as he fished his pump out of his pocket. The small device fit in the base of his hand, and it only took a moment for the guy to realize what was going on. The man seemed to stare at it for a moment, wincing ever so slightly like they were trying to discern whether or not this meant he was staring an abomination in the face, but soon he was passed through the main gate towards a machine he knew too well.

 “Hands out, sir,”

 “Got it,” Adam sighed, pressing his pump between both hands like he was flattening a deck of cards before sliding it back into his pocket and holding them up the guard.

 “You’ve done this a few times before,” the man said.

“I travel a lot,” Adam replied with a disinterested tone as his tongue smacked his lips.

 There was a brief moment where Adam watched his things slide through the security gate, then the man looked up at him with a nod.

“You’re good to go,” he smiled, “Have a nice day.”

 Adam’s hands were on his things immediately and he was already rushing to catch up with the other guys. The act of waiting, or the thought that someone was waiting for them scratched at his mind as he started to feel the structure reassembling.

 Blood sugar? Likely over 270 based on the burning in his throat, but that could be checked in a few moments, and he could find a washroom hopefully before the flight took off at 5:10. Currently it was… 4:53 based on the information on his phone. Anything was compiled into a structure as he pressed the toothpicks of his thoughts together into a ramshackle shelf, just trying to keep his world all together for a simple moment.

 Shoes? Tied. Belt buckled. He was rushing down the hallway once more, and from the distance he could see that James and Bruce had taken a spot in a standing line, Bruce scanning the hall for him, eyes lighting up as they saw him and for a moment Adam went tingly all over as his lips split in a soft smile.

 Now, whether the tingling was from the high blood sugar he was sure he had or how many butterflies went through him whenever he saw _actual affection_ from one of his numerous date-mates. It was easy to convince himself that his own views were lies when they weren’t looking at him like that.

 Adam was in line next to them only a few short moments later, and he almost let his joints give up on him when James’ hand pressed against the back of his neck.

 “At least you weren’t brought into a separate room,” James chuckled, and Adam could only really respond with a soft in response.

  So the initial plan for dealing with the symptoms for his highs were going to have to wait a few moments longer as he handed over his boarding pass with a soft smile and wandered after       Bruce who was already taking the lead. He could tell just by the occasional twitch of his neck that Bruce was fighting his instinct to go into full dad-mode, especially with James already guiding him the way he already was.

 Airplanes really didn’t change much between each other. Similar rows of seats that tried to pack everyone inside like missiles into a rocket silo. Depending on the turbulence, those would not be good missiles to sit beside.

 “Hey, uh, you good if I take the end?” Adam asked softly while pulling his blood tester out of the bag in one swift motion.

 Bruce didn’t even hesitate as he squished in, pulling James right after him even as James started to plug in his headphones, and his wrinkled up nose was enough to make it worth it as Bruce rubbed his hand through James’ hair.

 “Everything okay?” Bruce asked.

 Adam forced a smile as he finally took his seat. That back of his throat was rough like brick but he still managed to hold his tongue as he felt James and Bruce’s eyes bore holes into the side of his head.

 Finally, Adam dropped his blood tester to the table and looked up, “I’m not dying, guys. Just normal stuff.”

 “Are you high?” James asked, and Adam was about to snap at him when he noticed twinkle in the Willems’ eyes, and the suspicious glares that came from a few people in the seats around them.

 Adam moved on with his blood test, and was done with it quickly before anyone could object, sucking the blood away from his index finger.

 Sure enough, the number that blinked back at him was a little on the higher end of things.

  There was this thing that he experienced, where once he knew exactly what the problem was, it seemed like the symptoms involved would spiral into overdrive – like a crowd that was finally acknowledged they seemed to shout louder. His thirst leapt from a balmy summer day to the heat of a desert.

  “Well, you’re not wrong,” Adam scratched at the back of his neck, but Adam grabbed James’ wrist as he reached over, “but it’s _fine.”_

 From his pocket, he found his insulin pump once more, and the chirps of the device were almost white noise to his ears at this point. High blood sugars meant more insulin, low meant more sugar, and the balancing act would continue and continue and continue…

“Sir, please put away all phones and electronic devices until we’ve taken off.”

 A nosy flight attendant hovered over the seat as he tried to make himself larger than life.

 Adam’s tongue found his dry mouth when he moved towards speech, but instead of saying it himself, he just glanced towards Bruce.

 “Hey buddy, he’s diabetic. That ‘electronic device’,” the beautiful asshole added air quotes, “is probably the only reason he’s not getting sick on the plane.”

 The attendant’s face drained of color as Adam’s grew redder, and soon the man had moved down the aisle, leaving Adam to shuffle in his seat for a little longer. He shared a look with Bruce for a moment, a silent thank-you returned with Bruce’s sweet smile just as the plane started to lurch into motion.

 Flying in itself was not an unpleasant activity. The nature of their work and the company’s structure meant that travel was a fairly frequent thing, and at least this time there wasn’t a con on the other side that he needed to prepare for. Regardless, the most agonizing point was the few minutes before the seatbelt light went off, when a hyperglycemic Adam struggled to avoid pissing himself. He practically sprinted down the length of the plane before Bruce or James could even get a word in.

 Upon return, Bruce tossed him a bottle of water as James drooped over his shoulder. Adam and Bruce shared another quiet smile as he finally took his seat.

 “All good?” Bruce asked, almost in a whisper.

 Adam replied with a brief nod, “Yeah. Gotta love high blood-sugar plane rides.”

 “You’d think that people would know a little more about medical devices and shit,” Bruce smirked.

 With a mischievous grin, Adam leaned toward Bruce’s side, “Next time all three of us should just kiss. See what’s more shocking.”

 Bruce hissed through his teeth, a spark of excitement in his eyes, “Nah. Save it for the cameras. If we’re gonna do something like that we should at least make a buck off it.”

 “I see it now: Funhaus goes street show. Polygamous internet phenomenon goes public!”

Bruce’s grin grew only wider, “Hey, if the shoe fits. Gotta run that one by Burnie first, probably.”

“Probably,” Adam parroted, just as James started to shift ever so slightly. Plane rides knocked the man out like a light.

Any form of larger transportation had the same effect. There was a long road trip they’d all taken once, and James ended up sleeping through most of it. For a guy that was on his feet and a ball of energy most of the time, it was quite the experience to see him as he was. Quiet, sleeping, soft.

 And then they’d land and James would be back on his feet ready to go in a moment’s notice.

 The rest of the ride was uneventful for the most part. Adam chugged his weight in water and was probably back at the washroom a few more times than preferred, but such was life when you dealt with high blood sugars. It was easier to focus on dealing with the problem than what caused it in the first place, and likely just better in the long run if he let it be. Landing and baggage collection went by in a flash compared to their departure. James stayed pretty close the whole time.

 Another beep came from his machine as it ran through his blood sugar once more.

 “Finally we’re coming down a bit,” Adam sighed as James balanced his chin on his shoulder. The pair sat atop their luggage waiting patiently as Bruce talked rides over the phone. Rather like children that were waiting patiently for the next step.

 “Well that’s good,” James dropped his chin on his shoulder, “Can’t keep close to you when you’re running back and forth to take a piss every five minutes.”

 Adam tilted his head and gave James a quick peck on the lips. James purred in response as he pulled Adam a little closer right before Bruce rushed over to stand in front of them.

 “Alright, our ride’s here, so he’s gonna drop us off at the hotel and we start tomorrow!”

 Adam was on his feet in moments with James trailing right behind him.

“Shouldn’t this place be crawling with Uber drivers? What took so long.”

 “It’s called _business expenses,”_ Bruce grinned, “I’m not gonna fuckin’ pay for an Uber if I can get Burnie to do it for me. Now get your asses in gear and let’s get going!”

  Time difference wasn’t too huge between Austin and LA, just a couple hours, but it was so easy to forget the time of day when airport lights never changed and the flight could traverse from a setting afternoon sun into the oncoming night.

 It was funny how two completely different cities tended to look the same from an airport.


	3. Adamant

They met up at the office the next morning. Adam rubbed at the shadows beneath his eyes as Bruce passed him a cup of coffee and his small machines did their usual series of whirls and beeps. Already he was responding to a Snap with a dorky smile as he pressed more buttons on an insulin pump before grabbing a breakfast pastry of some kind off the table.

 The night before had been mostly uneventful for the trio. Other than a fight over who got what bed (“I’ll just switch between both each night,” James decided just to stop a useless fight), Adam essentially tumbled into the covers and feel asleep bundled in hotel blankets. The morning after they got picked up from the hotel and headed towards the office. It was always a little weird visiting. dragged into something to be filmed just for the sake of content.

 “Glad to see the Funhaus made it all in one piece!” Jack greeted them as they arrived. The large man met them each with a warm handshake.

 “Good to see you too, Jack,” Bruce smiled, “I think that I’m supposed to –“

“Yeah. Burnie pulled Geoff into a meeting a few minutes ago. You remember –“

 Bruce was gone before either could say anything, leaving James and Bruce to stare as he waved at them.

 “What’s the rush?” Jack smirked.

 “That’s just Bruce,” Adam smiled, “He’s probably just trying to make sure we don’t have to overstay our welcome.”

The group started to wander down a hallway when James whispered over his shoulder, “he likes to be on top of _everything.”_

 Adam probably would’ve been a little more embarrassed if it weren’t for the warm redness that was spreading through Jack’s ears. So instead, Adam grinned, tapped his pockets for the eighth time to make sure that his glucose monitor was still in his pocket where he left it before they walked through the doors of AH HQ like two triumphant heroes returning home.

It was always difficult adjusting to a different routine, but they fell into it easily as time went on.

 The energy was always different filming with the AH guys. Not necessarily in a _bad_ way, but just so much different from what they were used to back at Funhaus. General quips and a ceaseless amount of uncensored humor were replaced with watching people try hard to draw something on your phone screen that others would understand. Followed by a large amount of screaming and laughter.

 It was after a couple hours of recording that Adam found himself wandering to a communal fridge in the room. Pushing a couple of bottles of alcohol out of the way Adam’s hand tapped against the screen of his insulin pump as he searched for _anything_ that wasn’t alcoholic or unlabeled.

 “If you haven’t found what you’re looking for in the first ten minutes, you may be outta luck.”

 Adam banged his head against the top of the fridge and bit at the curse that threatened to leave his lips when he looked up to see the one and only Ryan Haywood leaning against a desk with a usual tired smirk.

 Adam replied with a soft smile as he stood and brushed at his knees, “Do you guys drink anything other than alcohol in this office?”

 “Well, nothing that’s easily accessible.”

 Ryan, the cheeky motherfucker, said all of this as he tilted back a diet Coke and gave Adam the sneakiest side-eye.

 He’d heard the other guys talking about how Ryan seemed to appear with the same drink in any scenario despite not knowing exactly where it came from. The man was cryptic at the best of times, and it was always funny seeing when the tone of a Let’s Play brought life to that cryptic persona.

 “Heh. Just used to our fridge back in LA I guess. Someone stocks it practically every week… just in case.”

Ryan nodded soundly, and in a single moment he reached underneath the counter and pulled out another silver can which he placed right next to him.

 Adam stared blankly, but grabbed the can anyway is it cracked open with a satisfying hiss.

  Gently, he placed the can on the table, “Do you just have these hiding everywhere?”

The man responded with a noncommittal shrug, but as he got up to walk away, he took a picture frame off a wall and reached in to grab another can of Diet Coke before walking away.

 “They turn it into a gag,” Ryan smirked, “So I decide to run with it.”

 Add ten points to the cryptic chart.

 Adam took a final chug from the silver can as James came into the room and tapped him on the shoulder.

 “We doing alright?” He smirked, “It’s been quite the day.”

 “It’s only a little past noon.”

“Really?”

 At that point, a guffaw of laughter echoed down the hall, and both men’s heads tilted to see a Geoff wheezing with laughter and Bruce keeled over as well at the end of a joke’s punchline. Adam raised an eyebrow as the pair looked up at him, and Bruce wiped away at the tears from his eyes as their laughter filtered away.

 “Alright, let’s head to lunch then.” Bruce suggested, “Just so we can get all of our stuff organized as soon as possible.

Geoff snorted, “Then we can ship you assholes back to LA as soon as possible.

 Bruce grabbed James and Adam by their shoulders and started bringing them to the doorway.

 “Well, we got our sketches approved for Let’s Play Live, so that’s step one,” Bruce whispered in their ear as he guided them through the entrance.

 “Calling us to Austin to approve some videos? Makes sense.”

 “All the budgeting and business meeting stuff had to be handled,” Bruce sighed, “Plus crossover content’s always good for the Let’s Play network.”

 “Let’s just get to the food, alright?” Adam groaned, “I’m _dying._ ”

 “Shock or Starvation?”

“We’ll figure it out when we get to the restaurant.”

 Geoff ended up driving them to a nearby Mexican place during the height of a lunch hour. People scrambled all over the place desperate for whatever tortilla wrapped dish was being served by the fast assembly line as Bruce joked about Blaine likely being at Chipotle around the same time.

 “So, has Bruce given you some kind of ETA for what we’re doing here?”

 Adam only had a shrug to offer in response as he tested his blood and waited for the machine to respond, “I assume the usual. Some shoots for promo material, maybe some content for someone else, more gameplay.”

 “And we’re gone before Friday, so no surprise Off-Topic,” James smiled.

 The machine beeped, and Adam made little reaction as he packed the machine away before leaning over and reaching for James’ hand across the table. James fingers soon wrapped around his own as Adam pulled out his phone with his other hand.

 “Adam…”

“What? Just proving we haven’t killed each other.” Adam smirked, “Plus I forgot how tough your hands are.”

 “Well, why don’t you two stop holding hands for a second so we can put the food down!”

 The largest plate went to the starving Adam and Geoff raised an eyebrow as Adam leaned in for his first bite.

 “… You sure that you can handle all that, Kovic? I’d hate to be the one that killed you.”

 Bruce started to chuckle despite himself as the spirit of death inhabited Adam’s eyes. The shot like daggers at the tattooed man as he leaned into the burrito and took a bite larger than physically possible.

 James just patted the back of Adam’s hand again as the other two took their seats, but Adam’s posture mirrored an angry cat as he got up from the table and, out of spite, got into line to order the highest carbohydrate item he could with the spare change in his pocket.

 Geoff’s face was like a man’s reaction to a Lovecraft abomination as Adam returned to the seat and kept eating. Adam ate with one hand and used his insulin pump with the other with the sole purpose of proving his point as Geoff tried to settle into his seat and change the subject.

 “Right…”

 Bruce’s body shuddered as he tried to hide his gut-busting laughter and James just glanced at Geoff with mock-sympathy.

 As far as Adam was concerned, there was nothing more satisfying than staring both a boss and his death in the face at the exact same time and giving them the middle finger. Which is exactly why the whole table nearly fell apart from the soundwaves made by their cacophonous laughter a few moments later.


	4. Melancholy

 The rest of the day was planning, really. Let’s Play Live was coming soon and since they were all in it together, there were many pieces to organize, creative things to brainstorm, other ideas that needed to get approval… it was always quite the endeavor to get everything together.

 Which is why Adam spent as much time as possible pressed into either Bruce or James’ side. Scope was everything, and the bigger an event, the bigger the chance they would fuck it up. The only way he could really keep his body from shaking and remain calm was by letting them do most of the talking, and he’d throw in the occasional idea here or there.

 “If that was something you wanted to do, we could see if we could bring back SVSB,” Adam smirked as they planned a stealth game set-up.

 Bruce looked over at him, “Don’t we have those costumes back –“

“Shhh!” James cut him off, “Props doesn’t know we took those with us…”

 The worst part was that Adam seriously underestimated the effect that burrito would have on his system which made him a little hazier anyway.  Another blood sugar test explained his walking-through-fog disposition as he slammed insulin, drank a ton of water, and tried his hardest to prevent the world from coddling him as much as he wanted it.

 Bruce told Adam to take a break near the end of the day, and Adam spent it sitting on a curb in the parking lot. The fresh air was nice for his breath anyway, though it did little to kill the scent of toxic sweetness stuck in his nose. It smelled like he’d expect acid in a candy factory to taste – without all the fun flavor, and his throat just never got rid of its sand-papery dryness.

 “You alright?”

 Adam looked up. The mysterious Ryan Haywood was back again with two more cans of Diet Coke in his hands and a pair of sunglasses balanced on his forehead. Adam smiled softly, licking his dry lips as Adam placed the can on the pavement in front of him before taking a seat beside him.

 Adam smirked, “You really have these things hidden everywhere, don’t you?”

 “Yeah,” he laughed, “Mariel and Tyler wanted to do a bit for Free Play we never got to that involved hunting for my favorite beverage in the Rooster Teeth office. The bit never got off the ground, but the hiding spots stayed.”

 Adam gulped desperately at the beverage.

“There’s like – this gross smell that comes in my nose when my blood sugar gets too high,” he grinned with gritted teeth, “so like – I try to do anything to just get some feeling in my body and senses.”

 “That’s brutal,” Ryan sighed, taking a seat next to Adam.

 “Which brings me to looking like a random hobo sitting in a parking lot.”

Ryan chuckled. “Nah, your facial hair’s too well-kept for that,”

 “You heading out for the day?”

 Ryan nodded, “Yup. Someone convinced Jeremy to do drunk VR again, so I’m heading out in advance to make sure that he isn’t a dead man walking tomorrow.”

 “I feel like the alcohol in your fridge sends that message pretty clearly.” Adam put his can down, crushed and empty.

“Jeremy also has trouble saying no,” Ryan rolled his eyes, “which is… endearing at times, and frustrating at others.”

 Adam’s only response was a soft nod as the glare of the sun hit the perfect angle where amber light flashed across his eyes. He winced quickly as he heard the soft groans of Ryan standing up and stretching out his back.

 “Anyway. See you tomorrow. Hope your hotel doesn’t suck!” Ryan flicked a mock-salute towards Adam before walking off towards what Adam could only assume was his car.

 Adam took a deep breath again as he took out his glucose monitor for what felt like the eighth time that day, and was thankful to see that the numbers were starting fall at least a little bit. He had only just pushed it back into his messenger bag when he felt a weight against his back and his ass slipping off the barrier.

 “James,” Adam snorted, “What are you-“

 They tumbled onto the ground, and Adam could barely grunt before James pinned on top of him with a wide grin.

 “Feeling any better?” The man chuckled though he made no move to free Adam from his pinning, and Adam himself could only really smile in response.

 So instead, Adam just rolled his eyes, “Ehh. I will be.”

 He leaned in and the pair kissed softly for a simple moment when they heard a shout on the other side of the parking lot.

 “Get a room, you two!” Bruce shouted as he wandered over, and while Adam and James leaped to their feet, all three were still smiling vibrantly as Bruce came over.

 James wrapped his arm around Adam’s neck, “Sorry. Sometimes I just can’t control myself.”

 “God, you’re so gay,” Bruce shook his head, but when both of them moved in to kiss Bruce on a different cheek, the man started to blush so brightly it shone through his beard.

Adam laughed, “Says you.”

X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X – X –

 Site changes. Most diabetics with insulin pumps would tell you that the pump made life easier in numerous ways, and while one needle every three or four days was better than four needles a day, but a needle was still a needle for some people.

 “Adam, is there any possible way you could maybe do this in another room?” Bruce muttered through a bit bottom lip.

 Adam spun around with a syringe plunger pressed into a clear bottle, “Hmmm?”

 James was behind Bruce as the pair sat on a bed and stared at the scattered plastic refuse across the hotel’s fake-wooden table, and Adam was doing everything he could to suppress the smile on his face. Bruce struggled to stare at the vial in his hand or the sharp metal spike that pierced its seal. It was like his reaction to horror movies of any kind.

 And James was clearly taking pictures of Bruce’s face as the man curled into a pillow like it was his only lifeline off this sinking boat.

 “Y-you,” Bruce stammered, “You know I’m not good around needles.”

 Adam was a concrete wall of deadpan, “I understand and respect that, but you’re going to have to forgive my lack of sympathy.”

 While Adam was used to being on the receiving end in some situations like these, he couldn’t truly deny the immense sense of pleasure he got from people sharing in his misery.

  Some more preparation as insulin was drained from the vial, then the vial connected to a cord that was slipped into his pump in one of the few moments his constant dependence on machinery could stare him in the face instead of it being an ever-present feeling connected to his body.

 The last step was a needle pressed into a small launching device, and with a click (and a yelp from Bruce) the site was pressed into the skin on his stomach again, and the machine-human relationship was complete again.

 Still shirtless, he fell back onto the bed with James and Bruce and pulled himself up the sheets towards the other two. Initial jumpiness aside, Bruce finally started to relax as Adam curled up next to him. With a breath, Adam let the day fall from his shoulders as James tapped at his phone and took a seat on the bed next to Adam and Bruce. Adam scratched at Bruce’s beard and rubbed a hand over his head as he relaxed for a moment.

 “Alright, told everyone that things are going alright,” James stated as he finally placed his phone on the side table, “and if things go well–“

 “We’ll be back home before we know it.” Bruce agreed.

“There’s not much left to do right? Just some promo stuff,” Adam mumbled as he pressed his face into Bruce’s chest, and the larger man wrapped thick arms around him. Soon James greeted him on the other side as Adam was at peace wedged between the burly men he had a pleasure of calling his own.

 “Elyse said we’re all spending the night at our place when we get back,” James smiled, “And that she wasn’t afraid to break someone’s shin if we objected.

 “Ehh. What’s another night not at my apartment.” Adam’s voice was muffled, but he really couldn’t bring himself to care.

 Bruce pet at Adam’s hair with a free hand and the man nearly preened as Bruce just let the tired Kovic slump into his tired heap. A body strained as it was by fluctuating blood sugars, differing environments and travel were all starting to press into his body.

 Without even thinking, the idea fell from Bruce’s lip.

 “Maybe you should move out of that place then if you’re never spending any time there.”

 No response. Just the soft breaths of a man that had tumbled into a deep sleep as Bruce kept petting at his hair. James soon found his place on the other side of the bed, ignoring the other bed in the room as James just pulled into their warmth.

 “How does he _do_ that?” James whispered, unbuckling his pants before slipping under the covers with the sleepy Adam.

 Bruce didn’t offer an answer other than to get up and hit off the lights before slipping back into his spot. Adam curled into him like a cat, and Bruce tucked Adam’s insulin pump next to his side before he found the most comfortable position he could.


	5. Performance

 “We’re doing On The Spot today, right?” Adam yawned as they stepped out of the car.

 Bruce was the paragon of planning when it came to the majority of their business endeavors. Itineraries down to a “T”, plans and models laid out and prepared, and usually, they were run by Elyse or Peake before he even took off in a destination. Adam was similar when it came to cons and things, but that was more as a method of avoiding extra anxiety than anything Elyse.

 Sure enough, Bruce patted him on the back and smiled like a confident war hero, “Yup. You should probably go head to that stage right away just so you can get through rehearsal and prepare for trouble. I’ve got a couple final details to iron out with Geoff, and someone else wants to run through the test footage, so –“

“So _I’m_ stealing Adam again and going to find Jon, got it.” James started pulling Adam away, and while he wasn’t resisting he certainly wasn’t helping as he let himself be manhandled by one of his many buff boyfriends.

 Adam yelped a moment later as James dropped and hoisted him over his shoulders in a fireman carry with a malicious chuckle and Adam waved at Bruce as they marched into the studio. Adam’s bag hung over James' shoulder even as he carried Adam in.

 “Okay, you can put me down whenever you want,” Adam called.

James chuckled, “Alright,” yet he still made no move to return Adam to his feet.

 In fact, he didn’t put him down until both of them walked into the studio. Some of the cameras were being toyed with and angled properly as Jon ran through some papers one last time behind his prop desk. Adam, still flustered found the ground beneath his feet once more as James offered a little more support as they wandered onto the studio floor.

 “Welp, we’re here!” James announced as he stepped onto the stage, “and maybe this time I won’t have to take my pants off for points.”

 “Not that it’s going to stop you,” Adam snickered.

 Jon glanced up from his notes at last with a vibrant smile. “Boys! Glad you could make it.”

  Adam grinned in response, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Well, when the other team gets here, we can run over the set for the day then get the audience in here so we can be on time for once.” His eyes flashed with excitement, “You guys ready? And are there any allergies of which I may need to be reminded?”

 His words ran a mile a minute, yet James responded as always like it was nothing.

 “I’m good on this side, as for Adam –“

“- just let me see whatever package you used and we should be fine.” He said.

 Jon paused for a second, looked up at Adam with a furrowed eyebrow, and then the dots connected in his brain.

“Ah, yes, right.” Jon snapped his fingers, pointing towards the pair, “I will go grab that... In the meantime, come up with a team name and give it to broadcast as soon as I get the other team ready.”

 Jon ran off backstage, and in the meantime, James and Adam pressed their brains together to see what they could work out.

 “Okay, something relevant and current?” Adam suggested, already writing down serious news stories and current movies as James rubbed at his temples with one hand in hopes of generating some kind of idea.

 Then James snapped his fingers, “Well, I know what’ll make some people laugh.”

 He scribbled the name down on a piece of paper and passed it to Adam, who reacted as though the humor was shot at him with a cannon.

 “Team ‘Pants On This Time?’” Adam grinned.

James nodded, “Just for the people who remembered last time.”

“Are you going to keep your pants on this time?”

A pause.

 “Well, I’m going to go give this to broadcast, so you can just chill out here!”

“James! JAMES!”

X – X – X – X – X – X – X

“Alright, with that game, let’s take a look at the points!”

 Despite the trash-talking that went on about On The Spot; it was right up Funhaus’ alley. Unfortunately, their previous performance meant that they needed to amp up their game from last time.

 It was difficult to say what exactly was going on, but apparently, Jon’s mood was Jeremy’s jokes and Jeremy was on a roll.

“So… Team PantsOnThisTime... you’re lagging a little behind!” Jon announced.

“We get it, you want us to take our clothes off and you won’t accept anything else.” Adam joked as James reached for his fly.

 Adam played up the bit by placing his hand against James’ crotch, eliciting some laughter from the audience some of the guys from backstage placed a table in the middle of the room. Already Adam could tell that this was going to be quite the… thing when a bowl of some sugary snack came out onto the spot.

 He hadn’t even noticed that his pump was already in his as he got up to see what was happening.

 “Alright. There is a bowl of not-too-old cookies, and there’s a few cards laid out on the table…”

 Adam listened to the rules carefully. It wasn’t too difficult, from the looks of it. Each person had to flip cards, and eat the number of cookies written on them, with an added time limit.

 “…and we’ll give you ten points per card. Everyone good to go?”

 Adam raised his hand, pressing the buttons on his pump quickly, “hold on let’s just make sure I won’t die first.”

“Yeah, I don’t think we need that to happen.” Jeremy joked.

 “Be a bit much to clean up,” Ryan chuckled, “Anyway…”

 Adam braced himself against the table, and he went in for the challenge just as Jon’s little bell went off.

X – X – X – X – X – X

Adam shook Jon’s hand again with a bright smile as the show shut off and they stepped away. While he was sure he’d probably be suffering the consequences of the amount of food he ate later, for now, he’d just enjoy the space for what it was.

 Which meant… pictures with the audience?

 The studio audience was new, and James was already taking a picture with some of the people in the small crowd. Adam’s anxiety went into overdrive for a moment, but quickly he had to regain his composure as a younger looking fan approached with a nervous smile.

 “Hey, uh, Adam?”

A moment of solidity, “Hey, thanks for coming!”

“Oh, it was hilarious,” the fan chuckled nervously, “I-I love watching you and James doing improv stuff.”

 “And I’d love it more if he _kept his pants on!”_ Adam shouted across the room, and James’ only response was a smug smile.

 “A-anyway, I just wanted to say that I’m really glad you talk about your diabetes and stuff on camera.”

 Adam’s attention turned back to the younger fan with a furrowed eyebrow, and the puzzle pieces slipped into place when the fan pulled out an insulin pump from his own pocket. Adam froze in place and the world went silent.

 It suddenly clicked that he was only one small image amidst a mosaic of many and that his existence on the internet could mean… something to these people. The frustrations and struggles that came with this fucking illness were a shared experience among a bunch of people.

 “That… That really means a lot,” Adam stammered, “Thank you.”

“Oh, so, I found this cool site online for this thing,” he said as he pulled something out of his bag, “and I want you to have it.”

 In his hand was a cut-out pattern on a laminate sheet that Adam noticed immediately to be a skin of some kind for his insulin pump, and it was covered in tiny Funhaus logos. Adam could feel warmth rush through his face as he took the thing before taking out his own phone.

 “Here, let’s a get a picture together.”

 It was a little after this moment that the studio audience was led to the exit. Adam and James were left standing in the studio space looking around as broadcast started to pack things away and get the footage figured out.

 It had been a while since he’d had some kind of skin on his insulin pump, but the tactic to put it on was easy enough. The black plastic device was now covered in the logo of his workplace. There was something charming about it as Adam wandered over and flopped his arms over James’ shoulder.

 “Can we nap for the rest of the day?” Adam groaned.

 James spun him around quickly and caught him off guard with a soft kiss, “We have an airplane with cramped seats that we’re hopping on tonight. That work?”

 “I mean… it’s not ideal,” Adam mumbled with mock-disappointment, yet he radiated joy from his core like a nuclear engine.

  “You guys really aren’t sticking around for long, huh?” The pair turned around to see Jeremy and Ryan still lounging in the chairs on the set. Jeremy still wore a pair of sunglasses on his nose, likely to hide the shadows under his eyes.

 James grinned, “We’ve got our own work to do,” he said teasingly.

 “It looks like you survived last night, at least,” Adam noted, recalling a mention of serious alcohol being consumed during working hours, and the blush on the short man’s cheeks only confirmed his observation.

 “Yeah… still trying to understand the whole ‘know your limits’ thing.”

“Trust me, I can relate,” Adam stated.

 He flicked the center of Jeremy’s sunglasses gently which resulted in a curious headshake that got the room laughing, but soon James was tugging on Adam’s wrist, telling him it was time to go.

 James waved to the others, “Well, we’re gonna track down Bruce, so I guess we’ll see you guys later!”

  Adam gave a subtle wave himself as Ryan responded with a tilt of his head, but James was already halfway out the door before the other two men could do anything to respond.

 Quite a trip it was, with his disease only providing some slight discomfort before they had to find their way back to LA.

 It was probably for the best that way.


	6. Epilogue

 The flight home was a little later that night than they had hoped. A delayed plane put them back a few hours, but otherwise, the return trip was going smoothly. In the airport, the three of them ended up talking nonstop with the rest of Funhaus who were already planning something “exciting” for their return (“Please be sex please be sex please be sex” James chanted repeatedly) and did a little more work between them as all the pieces fit into place.

 “It kinda sucked, to be honest,” Bruce leaned into Adam and James, “You guys were doing all this fun stuff and I was stuck with boring work things…”

 Adam kissed him on the cheek and ran a hand over his head, “We’ll just have to make it up to you then.”

 At that point, Bruce’s eyes narrowed as he noticed Adam’s life-giving machine covered in black and orange, but he was interrupted by the speakers before he could say anything.

 The main difference on the flight home was that Adam spent most of it fast asleep between the other two men instead of getting up every twenty minutes to run to the bathroom. That was the reality of their job sometimes. And for a sleepy man like Adam Kovic, that meant that the limited sources of energy he had would end up drained by the end of many rapid days. Bruce spent most of the time counting down the days until they could get back, where many other people would be waiting with open arms, and mostly so he could get Adam into the softest bed he could find and just curl up with all the people he could call family.

 James caught his eye for a moment – his Switch still in hand and his eyes on Bruce, and both of them smiled as Adam shifted slightly in the chair and tilted his head one way or the other. Despite how he curled like a python when he slept, and the sass he used to mortar the wall to his soul, it was clear he was starting to open up.

 It would be a process, that much Bruce was sure of, but even if he had to knock that wall down with a jackhammer, Adam was the missing gear that he needed for his clock to tick.

 And with Let’s Play Live around the corner, maybe there was a chance to get a little closer with some tight living quarters and a circle of lovers.

 Hopefully, they’d avoid pressing Adam’s self-destruct button…

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks! I'm likely coming back to edit this in the future, I'm just in a bit of a rut when it comes to creating emotional tension between characters when the rest of my life borders on living hell.
> 
> But thank you for coming on my projection trip.
> 
> enigmatic-cyborg.tumblr.com


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